GRiZ Breaks Free on Surprise 'Bangers[3].zip' EP [Listen]

I wonder if Griz ever stops to marvel at how much he’s done over even this past summer, let alone this past year. No degree of cloning or time-turning would make the breathless pace of the sprawling “Ride Waves” tour, his enormous Red Rocksperformances in June, or his phone-free special DJ set in Denver any less impressive.

And yet, it’s where GRiZ operates between the grand slams and spectacle that he’s most compelling.

Namely, the unexpected “Bangers” EP series this summer finds GRiZ pushing his sound to wherever he feels like, occasionally melting into the bite and psychedelic glitch that’s as key to his style as his iconic saxophone.

Today’s release of “Bangers[3].zip” backs off of the attack pleasantly, and features a bounding electro influence that we’ve never quite heard from GRiZ.

Give“Bangers[3].zip”a listen below:

bangers[3].zip breakdown

“I Like That” might have my favorite vocal feature on a Griz track. Kayla Jasmine has backup vocal credits with Tank and the Bangas and Arcade Fire. In this one, she is magnetic front and center, with catchy refrains and snappy verses galore. The pulsing synths give a great backdrop to her confidence, giving the hip-hop and soul blend strong legs to stand on.

“Supadupakulavibe” is a straight sugar rush. Named after GRiZ’s curated, full-fledged summer camp retreat, Camp Kulabunga, the song is all exuberant guitar upstrokes and pitch-shifted yowls from the man himself. It’s pretty difficult not to smile as his goofy vocal energy kicks into a colorful electro-pop beat, it’s infectious. The outro even has some Hendrix-inspired guitar licks which was a fitting touch.

I saw someone describe the final track “Now Til’ Infinity” as “Fatboy Slim on steroids” which is a more hilarious, apt description than I’m really capable of. This closer is pure electro-swing, with vintage big band horns and a steady, rocking hi-hat giving a classic cabaret strut. Here and there GRiZ jumps in and provides a quick verse as the animated tempo of the song threatens to explode out of pure joy.

Parting thoughts

Unmoored from the Ride Waves album narrative, the “Bangers” tracks act as flavorful artillery in his live catalog. Last month’s “Griztronics” collaboration with Subtronics is practically ubiquitous in bass music right now, with many dubstep producers clamoring to remix the viral drop.

“Bangers[3].zip” charmingly shows a redefinition of “bangers” outside of the sharp glitch on the first two. By throwing the rule book out and producing freely, GRiZ has made the most varied and interesting in his secret weapon EP series.

Listen to Bangers[1] and Bangers [2] below:

The Trevor Project – Fortnite Twitch livestream

As an added bonus to why GRiZ is one of the best in the game: earlier this week, GRiZ partnered with one of the world’s top Fortnite streamers, DrLupo, to help raise money for the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is the largest global suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth. With the four-hour Fortnite livestream, GRiZ and DrLupo raised over $18,000 and attracted 280,000 viewers to the stream. Shoutout to GRiZ and his team!